How to look after your chopping boards – wash, dry, oil
Time: about 15 min
A wooden chopping board will last for years if it gets three things: a quick hand wash, a proper dry and oil at regular intervals. Here is the whole routine, from the sink to the oil bottle.
Short answer
Wash the chopping board by hand in warm water with a little washing-up liquid straight after use, dry it with a tea towel and let it finish drying standing up. Never leave it to soak and never put it in the dishwasher. Oil the whole board regularly, preferably with paraffin oil (mineral oil), and wipe off the excess once the wood is saturated. For beech boards, Kockums specifies cooking oil.
What you need
- Wooden chopping board
- Warm water and a little washing-up liquid
- Dish brush or soft sponge
- Clean tea towel
- Paraffin oil (PAO-050)
- Dry cloth or kitchen paper
How to do it
- Scrape and rinse straight awayScrape food scraps into the bin or compost with the back of a knife and rinse the board under warm water. The sooner you do it, the more easily juices and crumbs come away.
- Wash by handWash both sides with warm water, a little washing-up liquid and a dish brush or soft sponge. The board should never go in the dishwasher or be left lying in the washing-up water.
- Dry it straight awayDry the board with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper – top, underside and edges. The less water left on it, the less the wood moves.
- Let it finish drying uprightStand the board on its edge or lean it against the wall so air can reach both sides. Don't lay it flat on the worktop while it is wet – only the top will dry.
- Oil it at regular intervalsWhen the wood looks dry and pale, it is time: wipe paraffin oil over the whole board with a cloth, let it soak in and wipe off the excess once the wood is saturated. Kockums specifies cooking oil for beech boards.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the board to soak in the sink, so the wood absorbs water and can warp or crack.
- Putting the board in the dishwasher – the heat and water are too harsh for wood.
- Laying it flat on the worktop while wet, so the underside never dries.
- Oiling only the top instead of the whole board.
Why wood and water don't mix for long
Wood absorbs moisture and swells, then shrinks again as it dries. If one side gets wetter than the other, the board moves unevenly. Oil fills the fibres so water and food juices find it harder to get in, and quick washing and drying keep that movement small.
FAQ
Can a wooden chopping board go in the dishwasher?
No. Always wash it by hand and dry it straight away; the heat and long time in water in a dishwasher are too harsh for wood.
Can I use washing-up liquid on a wooden chopping board?
Yes. Kockums specifies warm water and washing-up liquid for its pine chopping board; rinse and dry the board afterwards.
Which oil should I use on a chopping board?
We recommend paraffin oil (mineral oil), a non-drying oil for chopping boards and worktops that suits most types of wood. For beech boards Kockums specifies cooking oil, which also works.
Does a new chopping board need oiling before first use?
Kockums' pine chopping board comes treated with paraffin oil. Whatever the wood, wash and dry the board before first use and oil it when the surface starts to look dry.
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